Aircraft cargo loading method and apparatus

Apparatus for transferring both large and small containers onto and off of the container supporting surface of the cargo area of an aircraft comprising:

• a steerable self-propelled main loader;
• a vertically movable main platform on said main loader of insufficient length to accommodate a large container, main elevating means for moving said main platform between a container receiving elevation and the same elevation as the container supporting surface of the aircraft when said loader is positioned to transfer containers into and out of the aircraft, and main container moving means on said platform for selectively moving a container toward and away from said cargo area;
• an auxiliary loader, a vertically movable auxiliary platform on said auxiliary loader and being of sufficient length when added to the length of said main platform to accommodate said large container, auxiliary elevating means for moving said auxiliary platform between said container receiving elevation and the elevation of the container supporting surface of the aircraft when said auxiliary loader is in position to transfer a container into or out of said aircraft;
• power means for propelling said main loader, for raising or lowering at least one of said platforms, and for powering said main container moving means;
• and selectively operable control means associated with said power means for selectively controlling the raising and lowering of at least said main platform;
• said auxiliary loader being self-propelled and steerable and being driven into abutting engagement against said main loader, said auxiliary loader additionally comprising auxiliary power means and auxiliary control means for selectively powering and controlling the operation of said auxiliary loader independently of or in cooperation with said power means and control means;
• interconnecting means for releasably connecting said main platform to said auxiliary platform, for connecting said power means to said auxiliary platform means, and for connecting said control means to said auxiliary control means when a large container is to be transferred between the aircraft cargo space and said platforms;
• means responsive to said connection of said interconnecting means for causing power originating from said power means to be transmitted to a portion of said auxiliary power means for simultaneously providing power to said main elevating means and said auxiliary elevating means and for simultaneously raising and lowering said platforms, and means responsive to connection of said interconnecting means enabling said control means to selectively control the raising and lowering of said main and auxiliary platforms.

A method of using a main loader and an auxiliary loader for transferring both large and small containers between the floor of airport cargo facilities and the floor of the cargo area of an aircraft, said main loader and auxiliary loader each including a platform of sufficient length to accommodate only a small container and each platform including transfer means defining a container supporting surface;

• comprising the steps of:
• moving said main loader into container transfer position adjacent the cargo area of an aircraft;
• moving said auxiliary loader into container transfer position adjacent said main loader;
• transferring a container onto at least one of said platforms from said aircraft cargo area or from airport cargo handling facilities;
• when handling containers having a length longer than can be accommodated on one of said platforms alone, mechanically locking the platforms of said loaders together to provide a horizontal container supporting surface of sufficient length to accommodate a large container;
• simultaneously changing the elevation of both platforms when locked together and said large container supported thereon between the container supporting plane of the floor of said airport cargo handling facility and the plane of the floor of the cargo area of the aircraft;
• aligning the mechanically locked platforms with one of the floors;
• and transferring the large container horizontally off said platforms onto the planar aligned floor.

A method of using a main loader and an auxiliary loader for transferring both large and small containers between the floor of airport cargo facilities and the floor of the cargo area of an aircraft, said main loader and auxiliary loader each being of sufficient length to accommodate only a small container and each having a container supporting surface;

• comprising the steps of:
• moving said main loader into container transfer position adjacent the cargo area of an aircraft;
• moving said auxiliary loader into container transfer position adjacent the main loader;
• transferring a container onto at least one of said loaders from said aircraft cargo area or from airport cargo handling facilities;
• changing the elevation of said container between the container supporting plane of the floor of said airport cargo handling facility and the plane of the floor of the cargo area of the aircraft;
• and transferring the container horizontally off said loaders onto the planar aligned floor;
• when said container is a large container being loaded into the aircraft additionally comprising the steps of locking the container supporting surface of the main loader and the auxiliary loader together and in planar alignment;
• positioning said container supporting surfaces at the level of the floor of the airport facility, transferring the large container from the airport facility onto the container supporting surfaces of both loaders, raising the container and container supporting surfaces of both loaders to the level of the floor of the cargo space of the aircraft, and transferring the large container from both loaders into the aircraft.

A method of using a main loader and an auxiliary loader for transferring both large and small containers between the floor of airport cargo facilities and the floor of the cargo area of an aircraft, said main loader and auxiliary loader each being of sufficient length to accommodate only a small container and each having a container supporting surface;

• comprising the steps of:
• moving said main loader into container transferring position adjacent the cargo area of an aircraft;
• moving said auxiliary loader into container transfer position adjacent said main loader;
• transferring a container onto at least one of said loaders from said aircraft cargo area or from airport cargo handling facilities;
• changing the elevation of said container between the container supporting plane of the floor of said airport cargo handling facility and the plane of the floor of the cargo area of the aircraft;
• and transferring the container horizontally off said loaders onto the planar aligned floor;
• wherein said container is a large container being unloaded from the aircraft;
• and additionally comprising the steps of:
• locking the container supporting surfaces of the main loader and the auxiliary loader together and in planar alignment;
• positioning said container supporting surfaces at the level of the floor of the aircraft, transferring the container from the aircraft onto the container supporting surfaces of both loaders, lowering the container and container supporting surface of both loaders to the level of the floor of the airport facility, and transferring the large container from both loaders onto the floor of the airport cargo handling facility.